by accident

by accident (comparative more by accident, superlative most by accident)

1. Accidentally; unintentionally; without meaning to; as the result of an event not expected, aided, or willingly planned.

   Sorry. I knocked over the vase by accident.

2. As the result of some undesigned, unintended, unrelated, natural, or random occurrence; as the unexpected and unforeseen result of formerly unrelated factors.

   The car got totaled by accident; a giant snowdrift fell off the church roof.

   The only way that project still exists today is by accident; I thought we closed it years ago.

   The scholar thinks the quote and the parable were spoken on different occasions and only by accident were brought together here.

3. By chance; unexpectedly; as the result of an unrelated series of events.

   I hadn't seen her for years, but I ran into her by accident at the store.

   She overheard the information by accident.

   • a. 1886, Richard Chenevix Trench, Thou cam'st not to thy place by accident:

     Thou cam'st not to thy place by accident: It is the very place God meant for thee.

• on accident
• on purpose

by accident (comparative more by accident, superlative most by accident)

1. Accidental; as the result of some unforeseen happening or series of events; unexpected; resulting from an event without the foresight, expectation, aid, or design of the person by whose agency it was caused; unintentional.

   The victim's death was by accident.

   That the injury was by accident is not questioned.

• causeless, incidental, unintended; see also Thesaurus:accidental